Are we lost? Many of us claim to be misguided when the GPS on any of our mobile devices malfunction, but I am talking about a different type of lost. This lost is a feeling like life has so much more to explore and learn than society allows us to wander about in. Being a young woman in my twenties, I feel the need to seek something beyond the confines of my university and daily life. There is so much to explore and learn, but I feel like I have no idea where to start. Honestly, most of the time I dream of completely leaving society and becoming a mountain woman living in a cabin, but I don’t think that will ever become a reality. I cannot be the only person in the world with these thoughts. Sitting in that office chair, at a school desk, or even on the worn down cushion of your mom’s couch, there is a yearning for something more. Adventures. Journeys. Dreams.

Is there something waiting just beyond the fringe of the clouds? Guess the only way to know is to chase after it. This whole message of “follow your dreams” may sound like it belongs in an after school special or on the back of some kind of organic gluten-free cereal box, but it goes much further than that quick inspirational thought. The fact of the matter is, if there is no passion behind wandering about and going wherever the wind blows, nothing will gleaned from that experience. It will amount to nothing more than a stack of meaningless photographs (or Instagram posts). For instance, I could frolic up and down the South Carolina coastline all summer merely to darken the pigment of my skin but still learn less than another who only visited the coast for a day to experience the beauty of the loggerhead turtles.

How do we wander without getting lost? That’s easy, use a compass. Follow that spinning arrow. Each person has a passion within themselves. That passion is what should drive this wanderlust. This is your arrow. Follow where it points. When an opportunity presents itself, don’t ignore it or allow it to be taken away by time. Seize the moment.

Chelsea Bolt is a Second Wind author of the young adult novel Moonshine. For more information check out these sites:

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3 responses to “Wanderlust or Wanderlost? – Chelsea Bolt”

Good post, Chelsea. You’ve got the right attitude. Go for it. I have to add, though, that sometimes, getting lost provides the opportunities for the best adventures. And the more adventures you have, the more you understand where your passions lie. I’m still exploring and I’m a senior citizen. 🙂